Stories of superheroines are one of the main sources of inspiration for Hollywood movie directors. Just think about Xena, Red Sonja, Catwoman, and even Black Widow. And now Wonder Woman is extremely popular. Her screen embodiment, Gal Gadot, is undoubtedly charming. But does she look like a real Amazon?

WeGoRo found photos of Amazon women who were known for being fearless and strong. They belonged to real history, not comic books.

1. Amazons look like this in our imagination.

Gal Gadot’s character, Princess Diana, is a heroine of ancient myths. Her first appearance on the pages of comics was in 1941. As a result, every superhero fan thinks that Amazons looked exactly like this.

3. Even their own people were afraid of them.

These warrior women lived in the West African kingdom of Dahomey, to the south of the Sahara Desert. They were the King’s personal guards and sworn wives. Though the master of those lands didn’t dare to touch them as they were so intimidating.

4. A third of the Dahomey army was Amazons.

And they are not mythical characters but real military squads involved in battles with French colonial troops at the end of the 19th century. The number of warrior women in the Dahomey army reached 6,000.

5. They knew how to use swords and firearms.

Just like the mythical Amazons, Dahomey warrior women were a well-trained army, ready to fight at the first command. Many women joined the army voluntarily, preferring the profession of war to being a housewife.

6. Amazons were powerful warriors despite the fact they still used spears.

Seh-Dong-Hong-Beh was a leader of the Dahomey Amazons, and she was merciless to her enemies. In 1851, she led an all-female army against the Egba fortress of Abeokuta and conquered it being armed only with spears and bows. The fortress’s defenders were armed with cannons and muskets.